FRED MASIAK

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FRED MASIAK May 8, 1916 - May 18, 2005 Fred entered the Betel Care Home in Selkirk on April 18, 2005, and passed away peacefully in his sleep May 18, 2005. Fred Masiak was born at Chatfield to Anton and Maria (Kempa) Masiak, being the sixth of eight children. He attended Wheathill School. As a young man in the 1930s, he rode the freight rails to Saskatchewan for harvests, to the bush camps of Northern Ontario. In 1937 Fred and his two brothers worked on the tobacco farms in Delhi, ON, where they paid better wages than in the West, and bought his first car. On July 16, 1938, he married Nellie Martyniuk. They lived on his father's homestead, which they leased from the government. To provide for his young family, Fred used to cut cordwood, dig seneca roots, trap muskrats and other fur bearing animals, go harvesting and work in Ontario bush camps. In 1949 when the crown lands went on sale they bought that farm, and together with his wife used all their time to develop the farm - brushing, breaking, picking rocks and growing registered seed, also putting up hay for his cattle and horses and for sale. Fred liked all kinds of sports. He played baseball with the local Chatfield team and on June 7, 2003, was inducted in the Manitoba Hall of Fame with the Chatfield Cardinals. In his later years, he loved curling. All his life, Fred loved hunting, and hosted many hunters at his home over the years. During the 50s, Fred was picked by the local residents of the Wheathill District to look after the roads which were built at the time by road levy, and with the help of others, they sponsored banquets and picnics to raise money for gravelling those roads, once they were constructed. He was also responsible for collecting money for snowplowing during the winters. After retirement, Fred enjoyed driving his ATV during the summers and snowmobiling in the winters. He also enjoyed mowing the yard on his riding mower. Fred always dreamt of visiting the birthplace of his parents, so in 1981 together with his wife, they visited Ukraine for three weeks and loved it so much that they did a return trip in 1982 for five weeks. They also traveled to Cuba, went on a Yukon Alaska tour, visited relatives in California, family in Victoria and made many trips to Toronto to visit his brothers, and Estevan, SK, to visit his sisters and their families, also to Thunder Bay to visit his wife's brother and family. Fred and Nellie celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary in July 1998 at their home with many of their family members, relatives and friends. The day after they celebrated the Masiak's family reunion as well. They celebrated their 60th Wedding Anniversary in the local Chatfield Community Hall in July of 1998 with many friends and relatives attending. In 2003 they celebrated their 65th anniversary at home with their family. Fred's last wish was to say, Thank You, and Good Bye to his loving wife and family, to the boys he hunted with, and all those that helped him on the farm. Fred is survived by his devoted wife Nellie of 66 years; his daughter Elizabeth (Bill) Simcoe; son Nelson (Elizabeth) Masiak; six grandchildren, Stephen Simcoe, Marissa (Andy) Willms, Kim (Andy), Andrea (Steve), Anthony (Caroline) and Tanya (Jason) Dnistransky; and four great-grandchildren, Jaclynne, Eva, Dylan and Ellen; also numerous nieces and nephews. Fred was predeceased by his father Anton in April 1951; mother Maria in September 1954; sisters, Polly Woloshyn in January and Tene Fedyk in May of 1992, Kate Markus in June of 1996 and Annie Dzuba in December 2003; brothers, Mike in April 1992, Steve in October 2001 and Pete in March 2003; also a niece Mary Berthellette in May 1992; and three nephews, Peter and George Dzuba in 1947 and Robert Dzuba in April 1972. Cremation has taken place, and a private family burial will take place at a later date at the Chatfield Community Cemetery. MacKenzie Funeral Home, Stonewall in care of arrangements.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on May 21, 2005